Explosions were heard at the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russian Federation. A drone attack led to a major fire and smoke rising above the refinery site.
- The drone attack on the Lukoil oil refinery in Kstovo took place on 2 July 2026.
- The plant is a key supplier of fuel to the Russian army.
- This is not the first attack on this facility in 2026.
- The explosions brought production at the plant to a standstill.
- The plant is of strategic importance to the Russian Federation’s military logistics.
Explosions at the Lukoil oil refinery in Kstovo
In the Nizhny Novgorod Region, in the town of Kstovo, a new attack by Ukrainian drones on the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery has been reported. The explosions, which occurred on 2 July 2026, caused a massive fire, accompanied by thick plumes of black smoke. Local residents are actively sharing photos and videos from the scene on social media.
The strategic importance of the facility
«Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez» ranks fourth in terms of capacity among oil refineries in Russia and is the second-largest producer of motor petrol by volume. The refinery’s design capacity is around 15–17 million tonnes of crude oil per year, accounting for approximately 5–6% of the total volume of oil refining in the Russian Federation. This refinery supplies fuel not only for civilian consumption but also for military logistics, making it a strategically important facility.
Timeline of the strikes
This oil refinery has repeatedly been targeted by the Ukrainian Defence Forces. The previous major attack took place on 24 June 2026, following which the plant was forced to halt production. Systematic strikes on processing facilities, in particular the AVT-6, are significantly undermining Russia’s fuel capacity, causing damage to the aggressor country’s military infrastructure. The explosions on 2 July will further complicate the situation for the Russian military.
